Wear parts are commonly attached along the lip of an excavating bucket or the digging edge of other excavating equipment to protect the equipment from wear and enhance the digging operation. The wear parts may be excavating teeth, shrouds, or other wear members. These assemblies typically include a base, a wear member, and a lock. The base is fixed to the digging edge by welding, a removable lock or other means, and the wear member fits over the base. The assembled base and wear member cooperatively define an opening into which the lock is received to releasably hold the wear member to the base.
The wear members include rear mounting ends to be secured to the excavating equipment and front working ends to engage and penetrate the ground. The rear mounting end ordinarily includes a socket for receiving a nose projecting from the digging edge of the equipment. The front working end includes top and bottom surfaces that converge toward a front penetrating edge. These wear members are typically subjected to harsh conditions. As a result, they wear out over a period of time and need to be replaced.